Fort Myers is spending more money than it ever has, even pulling from its savings account to break even, and taxpayers are going to feel it with an increase in fees and possibly taxes if their property value increased.

The City Council passed the $391 million budget Monday night, with the final adoption hearing scheduled for Oct. 5.

City officials have $107.6 million earmarked for various expenses throughout the coming fiscal year, more than any budget in recent history when adjusted for inflation. And officials still had to pull $3.3 million from savings just to break even, according to city documents.

Most of it is going toward police and fire. In fact, for every dollar the city collects in taxes and fees, 71 cents goes toward police and fire, while 16 cents goes toward running the day-to-day operations.

Here are five things to know about next year’s Fort Myers budget:

More cash for public safety

The city is spending $5.4 million more on public safety than it did last year – an increase of 8 percent. That money will add 23 police officer positions and retain six firefighters, as well as provide the police department with money to buy more equipment, enhance technology, attend training and provide community outreach.

Next year’s budget provides a $100,000 subsidy to the Community Foundation, the first year of a five-year commitment. This stems from the foundation’s proposal to rehabilitate the former railroad depot on Jackson Street — formerly known as the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot — as well as construct a 10,000-square-foot, two-story building next door. Officials are hoping this project and the foundation’s investment will lead to a high-tech hub in the heart of Midtown.

The city will pledge $100,000 for improvements such as grassing, drainage and fencing. This line item comes after nearly 100 people braved the 90-degree heat and an impending storm — in response to a column by The News-Press visual journalist Kinfay Moroti — to pick up trash and debris littering the veterans section of the Fort Myers Cemetery.

Officials have set aside more than $1.1 million to implement a study on how police and general employees should be compensated. City Manager Saeed Kazemi has said he wants to understand the job description of all employees, eliminate overlapping responsibilities and pay employees a wage that’s comparable to the surrounding region. City Hall has lost staff members to the county for higher wages, and Kazemi hopes to end that. To implement results of the study, it will cost $562,800 for the police department and $631,300 for general staff.

To pay for all this, the city is increasing fees. Council members passed a tax rate lower than this year's, but property owners could pay more than last year if their property values increase. The increase in property values will potentially bring in an additional $4.8 million.

Due to population growth, officials expect the budget to see increases in utility service taxes (about 6 percent), communication service taxes (about 20 percent), business tax receipts (almost 13 percent) and licenses, fees and permits (about 11 percent). Officials anticipate additional revenue with more people doing business with the city, such as opening businesses and paying water bills.

A previous story incorrectly reported that city officials have set aside more than $1.1 million for a compensation study. That money was set aside to implement the study. The story also incorrectly reported increases to utility service taxes, communication service taxes, business tax receipts and licenses, fees and permits. Due to population growth, officials anticipate receiving more revenue through those avenues.